Faith
by mypoorangel
Summary: Carol finds a ship called the Merry Mary that holds many secrets and one could help her get back into the one place she called home. Caryl in future chapters Set just after Carol is kicked out of the prison.
1. Chapter 1

**(I know I swore I would never do an OC but this one just has not let me go since I first thought about it)**

Tears poured down Carol's face as she drove away from the only real family she had ever known. Even now she knew that if she had the chance to go back she would have done exactly the same thing. What she had done was to try and save her family. She furiously wiped away the tears that began to blind her. Deciding that she needed to stop and think about what to do next Carol pulled her car down a hidden driveway leading to a seemingly peaceful waterfront house. Turning off her car she silently pulled out her knife and made her way up to the house. Pushing open the already unlocked door she dispatched of the lone walker in the hall before it even noticed her, she pushed the couch in front of the door before wandering upstairs and checking out the rest of the house. She set herself up in the bed room settling in for a sleepless night.

The next morning she woke up to banging on the door below. Getting up she sprinted down the stairs just as the door broke open and people brandishing guns and other long range weapons filled the entrance way below her. Almost immediately all weapons focused on her and she found herself falling to her knee's hands above her head.

"Don't shoot I'm not one of them" Carol cried out, waiting with bated breath for them to open fire.

"You bit?" One of the intruders asked as the others shifted their grip on their weapons unsure of what to do next.

"No I'm not I swear."

"Come with us we'll get you check out, besides no one should be alone in these times. Unless you have a home elsewhere?" The apparent leader said lowering his weapon the others quickly followed suit. Carol debated with herself for a few moments before standing up and lowering her hands.

"I am alone, I have no one." She said hanging her head in defeat.

"Then come with us." The leader said stretching out his hand and offering it to her. Tears began to form once more in her eyes as she slowly and carefully reached out her own by the time her hand was intertwined with his she was sobbing uncontrollably. The others began milling about picking the place clean of any useful scraps, clothing, cutlery and the like as the leader stood and held her hand as Carol tried to stop the tears if they were uncomfortable or embarrassed by her reaction they didn't show it. It took only a few moments for them to pick the place over; they lead her over to nearby boats. Once they had all been loaded on with their goods the boats were pushed off and rowed towards a daunting looking ship on the horizon. As they grew closer Carol began to recognize the ship from a magazine she had read long ago, The Merry Mary a ship from a prestigious cruising line. Carol remembered when she was younger she wishing that she could go on even one cruise as it was said that the ship traveled to the most remote destinations filled with beauty yet undiscovered.


	2. Chapter 2

**(Been working on an Idea for this for a while now it had many false starts but this one just stuck)**

Once aboard the team was greeting by cheers from many other people who seemed to have gathered on the deck just for them to arrive. Out of the cheering one voice cut through and the crowd parted to leave her a clear path.

"Derrick, you had a successful mission I see." She said peering around him at the goods that were being unloaded.

"Aye Ma'am the heavens smiled on us today." The Leader, Derrick, said with a nod of his head.

"And I see you have brought us another lost lamb to add to our flock." The woman said stepping around him to put herself in front of Carol.

"Aye she had holed herself up in the house we cleaned." Derrick said before he fell silent at a wave of her hand.

"Now, Now Derrick she has a voice of her own. My name is Sarah don't mind the boys they get a little excited around new people, was that house your own?" The woman asked tilting her head slightly.

"No, no I just needed a place to stay for the night and I just sort of found it." Carol said a little unnerved by all the eyes that had settled on her. It took her a moment but she forced herself to stand a little taller as she introduced herself just as Daryl had taught her. Daryl the name seemed to slice through her like a knife what must he think of her now. With a determined breath she pushed the though aside and continued her introduction.

"My name is Carol and I have nowhere to call home." Sarah seemed to notice this change as a small smile graced her lips.

"Well than Carol I formally welcome you to the Merry Mary, please allow her to be your home for as long as you may need." There was a sudden burst of applause among the crowd as everyone seemed to fall over themselves wanting to shake Carol's hand as they rapidly introduced themselves. Over the excitable crowd Carol caught a glance of a girl looking a little out of place. It Carol only a second to realise what it was, all the people in the crowd seemed to be wearing colourful outfits that stood out among the dull greyness of the ship's deck but this girl seemed to be trying blend in with it. With light jeans full of holes and an over sized grey sweater of which the sleeve she seemed to be chewing on, brown hair waved in a moment before an eager face pushed itself in front of the image pulling Carol back to the feverous crowd, she looked back for the girl only to find her gone. Carol threw herself into their attention so she could be done with it and wander off to find that girl just as her gut was telling her to and as Daryl had always taught her follow that feeling it will keep you safe and lead you to the truth in any situation.


	3. Chapter 3

**(Well seen as it is way too cold and snowy out to do much of anything I've decided to just stay home)**

It took a few hours before the crowd started to dissipate but in the end it was only Carol and Sarah still standing on the deck.

"Please make yourself comfortable if you have any questions or find yourself lost just ask anyone around they will be happy to help." Sarah said jovially before she turned and left Carol to her own thoughts. Carol waited just long enough for Sarah to disappear down a flight of stairs before she began her investigation. For a moment she thought about asking any of the others but she at the moment she just wanted to keep her distance from them, they acted like they had always known her an to be honest she found their cheeriness more than a little unsettling. She vaguely wondered if this is how Daryl had felt when they had started to rely on him. Carol shook her head rapidly, this was no time to be thinking about the past she had herself a mission and she was determined to succeed before night fell.

Carol descended the stairs two steps at a time, the girl seemed as though she was trying to avoid everyone else so Carol figured that whilst everyone else was on the deck talking and celebrating this girl would have gone to the place farthest away. The farther down she went the more unnerving her surroundings became, the pristine white wall started to disappear to reveal rusted pipes and sparking wiring. The sunlight that shone through the many portholes that lined the hull also began to disappear until the only light came from the flicking lights lining the hall. The stairs finally came to an end at the beginning of a small hall in almost complete darkness. Carol made her way down the hall slowly afraid to make any noise at all she gripped her knife in her hands tightly ready to swing at any sign of trouble.

"What are you doing down here?" A voice asked from behind Carol nearly making her jump out of her skin. She spun around to see the girl from earlier standing behind her with a large binder in her hands, poised as though she had been ready to hit someone with it.

"Looking for you." Carol said sliding her knife into her own pocket before raising her now empty hands to show that she meant no harm. This seemed to satisfy the other girl as she lowered her own hands, arms holding the binder closely against her chest.

"Why?"

"I honestly don't know. All I do know is that I felt like I should, a sort of gut feeling I suppose."

"That's good, follow that feeling it will keep you safe in this world" The other girl said bringing her sleeve to her mouth as she began to chew on its edge once more. "At least that's what my Dad always told me."

"Is he here as well?" Carol asked glancing behind the girl anxiously, if this girl did decide to attack her Carol felt confident that she could win but if this girl had back up then retreat might be the better way.

"No" The girl said pulling her hand away from her mouth. "Last I heard he was going to Atlanta for the weekend. That was years ago though I don't know where he is now"

"Atlanta is over run if he was there when the infection hit then he's dead or worse, I'm sorry" Carol said taking a step forwards.

"He's alive."

"How do you know?" Carol asked taking another small step towards the girl.

"Because nothing can kill a Dixon but a Dixon."


End file.
